Resilient wheel.



M. KOLBY, L. P. LARSON & 0. P. NIELSEN.

RESILI ENT WHEEL. APPLICATION mm FEB. 13, I919.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919 2 SHEETS-SHE?! J. A. KOLBY, L. PfLARSON 84 C. P. NIELSEN.

RESEUENT WHEEL. APPUCATIGN FAILED FEB-13. I919.

imzylm mwma Apr. 2%,1919.

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JAMES A. KOLBY, LOUIS P. LARSON, AND CHRIfiTIAN P. NIELSEN, 0F EFHRZLIM, Wide-HE, ASSIGNUES T0 KGLBY WHEEL COMPANY, OF SALT LAKE C 'EY, UTAH.

EIESILIENT WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' v n 'I v Patented Apr. 28', 31919.

Application filed "February 1'3, 1919. Serial No. 276,775.

To all w/ wmit may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMns A. KOLBY, LOUIS P. Larson, and CHRISTIAN P. NIEL- SEN, citizens of the United States, residing at Ephraim, in the county of Sanpete and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resilient Wheels; and We do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention has for its principal object to so improve upon the construction covered by our United States Patent No. 1,286,348 of December 8rd, 1918, as to provide a more rigid and durable wheel which may be manufactured at less cost than the patented device.

In carrying out the above end, further objects are to provide for anchoring the spoke guides in a novel manner; to stamp the two side disks in identically the same manner so that any disk will fit either the inner or the outer side of the wheel; to so shape the disks and secure them together as to effectively stiifen the wheel against lateral listing and to form holding means for the outer spoke guides; to provide means for preventing chafing of the spring steel band against the rim sections; and to guard the air tube a ainst in'urv bv the shoes on theinner ends of the spokes.

In carrying the above objects into effect, we make use of a number of novel features of construction herein fully described and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the wheel applied to an automobile.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail sections cut transversely through several of the spokes and adjacent parts, as viewed on the planes of the lines H and 5-5.

Fig. 6 is a sectional perspective view showing a portion of one of the side disks.

In the drawing above briefly described, the numeral 1 designates a hub member having an annular outstanding flange 2 on its inner end, in turn provided with a lateral circumferential flange 8 concentric with the hub. The flange 2 may also carry t re brake drum 4, and the several parts 1, 2, 3, 4; are by preference cast in a single piece, peripheral flanges 5 being at the same time formed on the flange 3, while circuznferentially spaced openings 6'are formed through said flange, either during the casting operation or later, by drilling. Sheet steel sleeves I are frictionally held 'in the openings 6 and contain wear-resisting bushings 8 preferably of fibrous material such as that used for brake linings upon automobiles. This material is commonly reinforced with closely woven copper or wire and it, therefore, resists wear to the maximum, at the same time being sufliciently porous to contain lubricating oil for the spokes 9 'which pass slidably through the bushings.

Both ends of the sleeves 7 are curved in wardly at 10 around the ends of the bushings 8 to retain-the latter in place. and at the same time to reduce the ends of said sleeves so that either .end thereof may be easily startedinto the openings 6 and then completely inserted into, such openings by means of a hydraulic or other suitable press. By thus inserting the sleeves and their bushings, they will be frictionally held in place .yet may be rather easily removed and relikewise assist materially in providing a .wheel which will be of exceptional durability. This is due to the fact that the bushings 8 may be impregnated with oil or grease to reduce friction and wear. and the nature of the material of which the bush ings are constructed, will resist wear to the maximum.

(loacting with the sleeves 7 and bushings 8, in guiding the spokes 9, are outer sleeves 7 carrying bushings 8 the constructiorv of these parts being ldentlcal with the correspending parts above des they may be interohangeably used in assembling. The inner edges of the disks 11 are riveted or otherwise secured at 12 to the flanges 5', and between the spokes 9, said disks are stamped inwardly at 13, thus providing hollow spoke receiving ribs 14, the inwardly stamped portions 13 being riveted or otherwise secured together at 15 so as to form an extren'lely rigid structure which will not yield laterally to any appreciable extent. The outer ends of the hollow ribs l i receive the sleeves 1" snugly therein and in order to hold said sleeve against displacement, the ribs are by preference stamped inwardly around the curved ends thereof as indicated at 16. The inward stamp of the ribs is sufiicient only to prevent endwise sliding of the sleeves '1' and does not prevent insertion of said sleeves by hydraulic or other pressure.

()verla 'iping the inner edge of the outermost disk 11 and secured to the free edge of the flange 3 by cap screws or the like 17 is a removable side plate 18 having a central opening through whiclfthe reduced outer end 19 of the member 1 projects, said side plate forming with the parts -1, 2, and 3, a casing for apneumatic tube 20 which cushions the movement of the spokes 9. The tube 20 may be provided with any preferred Lorin of inflation valve 21 extending outwardly throupjh the plate 18, and the central portion of this plate is preferably held against a shoulder 22 on the member'l, by means of an appropriate hub cap 23, which may also, if desired, serve to secure the wheel upon the axle when said wheel is to be used as a driver. When the wheel is to be used on the front axle of a vehicle, any suitable form of bearings will, of course, be provided in the hub for rotation upon the axle spindles.

The periphery of the tube 20 is provided with a protecting band 24; of felt or any other preferred material, and the shoes 25 on the inner ends of the spokes 9 are equipped with sheets of fabric or the like, resting against said band. The sheets 26 are by preference of greater size than the shoes so that the edges of the latter are prevented from injuring the band 2%- or the tube '20.

The outer ends of the spokes are suitably pivoted at 27 to channeled rim sections 27 isomer Within whose channels a spring metal band 28 is positioned, said band carrying a cushion tire 29 Whose base is held by the side flanges of the rim sections. Chafing and 1mnecessary wear of the band 28 and the rim sections 27, are prevented by an additional band 30 of felt, brake lining material or the like, interposed between the bottoms of the channels of said rim sections and the band 28.

By constructing the wheel in the manner shown and described, we are enabled to manufacture more easily and at less expense than we could produce the patented wheel above referred to, and at the same time the device is rendered more durable and rigid. Since probably the best results are obtained from the details disclosed, they'may well be followed, but within the scope of the inven tion as claimed, numerous minor changes may well be made.

We claim:

1. In a resilient wheel, a hub structure, a plurality of sliding spokes radiating from said hub structure and carrying a rim, and cushioning means for said spokes;'together with a pair of spoke-bracing disks secured to said hub structure on opposite sides of said spokes, said disks being inwardly stamped between the spokes, thus forming hollow ribs receiving said spokes, said in wardly stampedportions being secured to gether, spoke-receiving, metal sleeves in the outer ends of said ribs, and wear-resistin bushings in said sleeves, both ends of said sleeves being inwardly curved around the ends of the bushings to retain them in place and to allow either end of he sleeves to be inserted first into the ribs, said ribs being inwardly stamped around the curved ends of said sleeves to retain the latter against removal.

2. In a resilient wheel, a hub having a circumferential flange provided with spaced openings, frictionally held, metal sleeves in said openings having both of their ends curved inwardly to the same extent to allow either end of said sleeves to be inserted first, Wear-resisting bushings in said sleeves and retained therein by said inwardly curved ends thereof, spokes sliding through said bushings, a rim to which said spokes are attached, and cushioning means for said spokes.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

JAMES A. KOLBY. LUUIS P. LARSON. CHRISTIAN P. NIELSEN. 

